Simple. Healthy. Delicious.

I’ll admit to a tendency to want to tweak things.  But I try to recognize when less is more.

While at the Farmer’s Market, I was inspired to make this simple salad.  Simple, of course, doesn’t have to mean boring.  This has all of the markers of a well-rounded dish.  A bit of nuttiness from the cheese and walnuts, the sweetness of the fresh vegetables and pea shoots, and tang from the lemon come together nicely.  The pea shoots, obviously, are not something you’re going to see every day in your standard grocery store, but you could substitute a bit of parsley.

See?  No muss, no fuss doesn’t have to put you into a coma.

Summer Squash Salad

1 medium sized zucchini

1 medium sized yellow squash
2 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ear sweet corn
1/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted
Shaved Asiago cheese
Pea shoots

Slice the squash lengthwise using a mandoline (you could also use a vegetable peeler).  Place slices in a strainer and sprinkle with the kosher salt.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes.  Rinse thoroughly and allow to drain again, about another 5 minutes or so.  Dry on paper towels.

Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper in a container with a lid.  Shake thoroughly until emulsified.

Husk corn and toast slightly, either on the grill, or in a grill pan.  If cooking on the stove, add a little water to your pan once you have a bit of color on the corn and cook just until tender.  Allow to cool.  Cut kernels from corn cob.  Combine corn and squash in a bowl.

Pour enough of the dressing mixture over the squash and corn and toss to coat lightly.  Arrange in serving dish.  Season with a bit more salt and pepper, if desired.

Top with walnuts, cheese and pea shoots.  Serve immediately.

Note:  the squash and dressing can be prepared in advance.  Store separately and then prepare as directed just before serving.

However You Pronounce It

Sometime over the course of the last year or so I decided to stop making excuses for not doing the things I wanted to and just DO THEM. I talked about starting a blog for years before actually doing it. And before I even knew what blogging was I had a plan for putting down into some kind of tangible format my culinary journey, if only so my kids could have something to look at. I was going to start by taming that stack of food mags, doggedly wend my way through all of the recipes I wanted to try, and put into a perfect, logical order all of the ones I deemed worthy of keeping.

But there were so MANY.

And who has the TIME???

Then last year I forced myself to make the leap and at least START. Baby steps, Grasshopper. And while I can’t really say that the stack of magazines and recipes has gotten any smaller, blogging has at least has forced me to stay on task somewhat. It’s also made me (slightly) less likely to eat a bag of popcorn for dinner when I think I’m not in the mood to cook.

I’ve also gotten serious about exercising regularly. Not because I wanted to be a ‘hot mom’ or anything but because I like food enough that I want to be able to continue to enjoy it on my terms. I don’t want my menu dictated to me by a doctor.

And finally, I decided to set aside the notion that I needed to have a bigger living space if I wanted to cook and entertain for friends. ‘Bollocks’, as my friends in Newcastle would say. Not only has there been enough space, but ‘eating in’ has given me the opportunity to really enjoy the company of friends, instead of feeling like we’re on some kind of time allotted outing that ends as soon as the waiter brings the check to usher us out the door.

But I’m rambling.

Saturday evening was one of those hang out and enjoy the company of friends kind of nights. No schedules. No rush. No wondering how much to tip the waiter.

And as a glaring deviation from my usual m.o., I actually cooked something REALLY HEALTHY. There was no butter to be found in this meal. Well, ok, I didn’t ADD any butter to this meal. Obviously, the little puff pastry ‘lids’ were chock full of the stuff, but considering that the original rendition of this was wrapped in the pastry and served with a cream sauce, I thought I did pretty well.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pomegranate and Balsamic Glazed Salmon with Sautéed Leeks
 
2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, separated
1 tsp dried tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup white wine
6 Tbs pomegranate juice
4 Tbs brown sugar
4 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 tsp cornstarch
A pinch (or two) of cayenne pepper
2 lbs salmon fillets, cut into portion sized pieces

Heat oven to 300º.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil.  Add the leeks and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften.  Add tarragon and season with salt and pepper.  Deglaze pan with wine and continue to cook until wine evaporates.  Remove to a bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, add the pomegranate juice, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, cornstarch and cayenne.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and allow to reduce until the mixture is of glaze consistency.

In the meantime, heat another 2 Tbs oil in the sauté pan over medium-high heat until the pan is hot.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper and add to the pan.  Sear briefly on each side, about 2 minutes each (for about a 2 - 3" thick slice of salmon).

Place salmon in an oven proof dish (or leave it in the pan you cooked it in if it can go into the oven).  Brush salmon with glaze and transfer to oven.  Cook just until the salmon is translucent and registers 125º internally, about 7 - 10 minutes.

** Serving idea:  I adapted this as a low-fat, sugar-free recipe for a friend by substituting Splenda brown sugar blend in the glaze, and rather than wrapping the salmon in puff pastry (as originally called for), I just cut puff pastry into wedges and baked them in the oven, using the wedges as little 'caps'.


In keeping with the 'healthy' theme, I decided to try something I've been reading about but haven't gotten around to trying....  Quinoa.  In reading up on the stuff, I swear it used to grow wild where I lived growing up (in the South) and was just another weed.  Kind of tickles me that it's the 'in' thing now.

Apparently, the proper pronunciation of quinoa is "KEEN-WAH".  OBVIOUSLY.  Of course the joke the entire night was in trying to get it right and not revert to the more logical "QUIN-O-AH".  Offspring gave up and started referring to it as 'couscous rice'.  Don't blame me.  I'm just her mother.

Anyway, I will have to say that I thought the stuff was pretty tasty.  I used a tri-color mix, just to make it pretty.

If you have been wanting to try it but haven't quite convinced yourself to do so, go ahead and give it a shot.  It's got a nutty flavor and sure beats the heck out of bran in the flavor department (haven't we all tried a 'healthy' muffin with the consistency of sawdust?).  And it's very versatile in what you can add to it.

 

Quinoa with Butternut Squash, Pears and Sage

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (in all honesty, I used a Delicata)

1 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter (I substituted olive oil in this particular instance)
6 small sage leaves
1 pear, peeled and diced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 Meyer lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400º.   Place cubed squash on a small roasting pan, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Bake just until squash is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse your quinoa, drain well, and add to a medium saucepan.  Add water and about 1/2 a teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer for 10 - 12 minutes.  Remove from heat, allow to sit another 5 minutes, and then fluff with a fork.

In a sauté pan heat 1 Tbs oil and add hazelnuts.  Allow to toast just a minute or two, then remove the nuts.  Add pear cubes and sauté until pear is just softened, about 2 minutes.  Add roasted squash to the pan, season with salt and pepper, then add the mustard and lemon juice.  Thoroughly combine and then add to the quinoa pan, along with the nuts.

In the same sauté pan, heat the butter until it sizzles.  Add sage leaves and fry just until they crisp up and are starting to brown at the edges.  Drain on a paper towel.  Crumble 3 - 4 of the leaves and add to quinoa mixture.  Stir to combine.  Use the remaining leaves for garnish.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi Redux

Because the butternut squash gnocchi was just so tasty, I decided to make it again for Christmas dinner.  This year we opted for an Italian spread in honor of my mom's recent return from Rome.

This stuff freezes really well.  Just place the individual gnocchis in a single layer on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and freeze.  Then pop them into a freezer bag and store in the freezer until you're ready to use them.  They go right into boiling water and make for a quick meal.

Just a word of warning, though, from someone who knows...  If you are transporting your frozen gnocchi in their freezer bag in a heated car 45 miles to your sister's house to prepare, they will begin to thaw and stick together, and a portion of them will be unsalvageable.

You have been warned.

Anyway....  This went together quickly and to rave reviews.

Sautéed Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sage and Ricotta Salata

1 recipe Butternut Squash Gnocchi
1 cup cooked, cubed butternut squash (I used the leftovers from making the gnocchi)
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
3 fresh sage leaves, cut into a chiffonade
Shaved ricotta salata*

Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer (you really don't want a hard boil on this).  Add the gnocchi, let it come back up to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.  Drain well.

In a large frying pan, add the butter and olive oil.  Heat over medium - medium high heat until butter starts to sizzle.  Add cubed squash and sauté until squash is warmed through (remember, it's already cooked).  Add drained gnocchi.  Cook, turning occasionally with a spatula (to avoid breaking the gnocchi) until gnocchi begins to turn golden.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add sage leaves and continue to cook until gnocchi is browned and slightly crisp on the outsides.

Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

*Ricotta salata is the firmer version of ricotta cheese.  If you can't find it, use any firm cheese you'd like.  Parmesan or Asiago work great.